17 Jan 11. USAF moves forward with Andros HD-1 upgrade. The US Air Force (USAF) Air Combat Command’s programme to upgrade its fleet of Andros HD-1 unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) is progressing with the selection of the Small Robot Toolkit (SRT), developed by Robotics Engineering Excellence (RE 2), as part of the upgrade package. RE 2 has licensed its SRT technology to Northrop Grumman subsidiary Remotec, and the toolkit will serve as an accessory package for the Andros HD-1 to support multiple mission tasks for the USAF’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)

17 Jan 11. Different FLAVIIR: UK’s Demon UAV testbed advances ‘flapless’ flight. In July 2010 the UK’s Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) was unveiled to an invited audience at BAE Systems’ Warton facility in Lancashire, northwest England, amid a dazzling light show, theatrical accompaniment and plenty of dry ice. Taranis is a GBP124m (USD193m), multi-year effort that largely embodies the sovereign state of the art so far as deep and persistent UCAV capability is concerned. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)

14 Jan 11. DARPA launches Mind’s Eye programme. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched its Mind’s Eye surveillance programme with the award of 15 contracts to develop software and integration concepts. The aim of the Mind’s Eye programme is to develop a remote, ground-based surveillance capability – in this instance integrated onto an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) – that can provide an intelligent persistent stare ability. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)